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Don’t let the flu or a cold put a damper on your special moments

With our broad range of services and numerous locations, you don’t have to travel far for the care you need. Novant Health has the resources to keep you healthy all winter long.

  • Primary care physicians with online scheduling and same-day appointments
  • Express and urgent care locations with no appointment needed and extended hours
  • Video and e-visits
  • Seasonal health articles from our medical experts
  • Exclusive free health guides designed to keep you well

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What’s inside the guides?

Be winter wise

Learn how to prevent and overcome common winter-related ailments.

This guide discusses the ailments that commonly occur during winter and the steps you can take to prevent and overcome them. So whether it’s cold sores, cold hands, the common cold or the seasonal flu, we’re here with the knowledge and resources you need to stay well, warm and healthy this winter.

Topics include:

  • Warding off common winter illnesses, like the common cold, bronchiolitis, seasonal flu, sore and strep throat, pneumonia and norovirus
  • How to avoid aggravating pre-existing conditions, like asthma, painful joints, heart attacks, cold sores, cold hands and dry skin
  • How Novant Health UVA Health System can help across three categories: express care, urgent care and emergency room care
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Is it a cold or the flu?

 Symptom:
   Cold:
   Flu:
Fever
   Rare
   Often, a fever of 101° F or higher for 3-4 days
Aches
   May have slight body aches and pains   Severe aches and pains are common
Chills
   Rare
   Often, and may include shivering
Fatigue
   Fatigue is fairly mild with a cold
   Moderate to severe fatigue with the flu.  
Sudden symptoms
   Symptoms are not sudden and develop over a few days
   Rapid onset of 3-6 hours. Hits hard and includes sudden symptoms of high fever, aches and pains.
Coughing
   A hacking, mucus producing cough, often with a cold
   A dry, nonproductive cough that does not produce mucus
Sneezing
   Sneezing is common with a cold
   Sneezing is not as common, but can accompany the flu  
Stuffy or runny nose   Usually part of a cold and resolves spontaneously within a week.
   Can be present with the flu
Sore throat   Common with a cold
   Not common, but can be with the flu
Chest discomfort   Mild to moderate with a cold
   Often severe with the flu with pain or abnormal sensations that you feel between neck and upper abdomen.
Headache   Not common with a cold
   Common with the flu, in 80% of flu cases